Curb form clamp



Dec. 27, 1960 s, L. wlLsoN 2,965,950

CURB FORM CLAMP Filed April l, 1957 J/D/VEV h//Lsm/ l INVENTOR.

United States Patent C CURB FORM CLAMP Sidney L. Wilson, San Diego, Calif., assignor to S & W Curb Clamp, Inc., El Cajon, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 1, 1957, Ser. No. 649,724

9 Claims. (Cl. 25-118) This invention relates generally to concrete form locating, and more particularly has to do with novel clamp assemblies directly applied to particular forms used in the laying of concrete curbs and gutters for the purpose of rigidly holding the `forms against displacement from predetermined spaced relation governed by the curb and gutter size, the invention making possible quick connection of the clamp assemblies to the forms and disconnection therefrom after pouring of the concrete therebetween, all without the use of conventional spreaders.

It is a major object of the invention to provide for a reduction in the amount of labor required to set up concrete curb and gutter forms and to strip the forms after the concrete is laid, through the use of clamp assemblies directly and quickly applied to the forms themselves for holding the latter in required uniformly spaced apart relation, the location of at least one of the forms being predetermined relative to the ground by staking, all as distinguished from devices which may derive from spacing capacity through connection with stakes driven into the ground to locate one or more of the forms, as for example the curb back form. Such stakes are not the best position references for establishing desired rela- -tive spacing between the curb back form and the curb face and gutter forms, since any stake deviation from the vertical in a lateral sense with respect to the direction for form elongation creates a corresponding error in such relative spacing. Furthermore, repeated driving of iron stakes causes burring of their ends, increasing the difficulty of connecting and disconnecting form locating devices thereto.

In accordance with the invention, clamp assemblies are provided which grip top portions of the respective forms to be held in predetermined laterally spaced relation, the clamps being wedge actuated with -the wedges at all times remaining in openly exposed condition outside the concrete space and directly accessible for quick knock-out removal from clamp actuation releasing the clamps from the forms. Thus, advantage is taken of the fact that the staked curb back form may itself support the clamp assembly and thereby provide the reference from which the lateral spacing of the likewise clamped curb face and gutter forms is determined.

The wedge actuated clamps contain openings through which elongated wedges are endwise received in actuating engagement with the clamps, the Wedge opposite ends remaining at all times clear of the clamps so as to be readily hammer driven into and out of such actuating engagement for rapidly connecting and disconnecting the clamp assemblies with the forms.

These and other features and objects of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation showing the complete clamp assembly connected with all the curb and gutter forms;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing of the complete clamp assembly and form of Fig. 1;

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Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective illustration of a modified portion of the complete clamp assembly;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the basic clamp assembly connected with curb back and face forms; and

Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view showing alternately spaced basic and complete clamp assemblies connected with concrete curb and gutter forms.

ln Fig. l vthe horizontally elongated wooden curb back form 10 is shown as being held in upright position on the ground 11 by a stake 12, so that the top of the form extends at least as high as the desired upper level 13 of the concrete curb generally indicated at 14. Laterally spaced from the back form 10 is a similar horizontally elongated wooden gutter form 15, the bottom of which stands on the ground at a higher level than in the base of form 10, while the top of the gutter form extends upwardly to a level at least as high as the maximum elevation 16 of the concrete gutter generally indicated at 17.

Supported on top portions of forms 10 and 15 is a clamp assembly 18 acting to hold the two forms in predetermined laterally spaced relation, and also holding or supporting a wooden curb face form 19 in elevated position above the ground line 11, with the form 19 being inclined upwardly and laterally toward form 10 so that the concrete curb face 20 will be similarly inclined. Concrete poured in the space between the three forms solidilies as a single mass as shown above the ground line, the top and bottom of the respective forms 15 and 19 establishing the sloped gutter surface 21. While all three forms 10, 15 and 19 have been described as wooden, it will be understood that any of them may also be made of metal.

A pair of upper and lower level inverted U-shaped metal brackets 22 support the clamp assemblyon the respective forms 10 and 15, the brackets being interconnected by a metal frame including risers 23 welded to the tops of the brackets, laterals 24 and 25 welded t'o the respective risers and extending over the concrete space, and an inclined pipe welded to the ends of the laterals. Each of the brackets 22 includes a horizontal base 27 seated on the form top, a vertical leg 28 clamped against the form inside, and an opposite leg 29 outside the concrete space having inward and downward inclination matching the edge taper of an elongated wedge or key 30 bearing against leg 29.

Each wedge is received endwise downwardly through an appropriate opening 31 formed in the bracket base 27 with the opposite wedge ends 32 standing clear of the bracket 22, the form and the frame when the Wedge is actuating the clamp to grip the form. Actuating pressure is transmitted from the outer ange or leg 29 to the wed-ge 30 engaging the flange and then from the vertical wedge side 33 laterally to the form through a thin metal flap 34 extending vertically through the wedge and the form, the flap comprising a part of the clamp that is laterally movable by the wedge into clamping engagement with the form when the wedge is driven downward into clamp actuating position. Such lateral movement is accommodated by the T-shaped upper portion 35 of the ap extending through the opening 31 and overhanging the base of the bracket, as better illustrated in Fig.

2v, The wedge opposite ends 32 being openly exposed are directly accessible for endwise driving of the wedge, accommodating rapid clamping and quick knock-out removal from clamp actuation for releasing the forms.

The face form 19 is held in position between forms 10 and 15 and above the ground 11 by a pair of hooks 36 and 37 respectively welded to the pipe 26 and formed at the lower end of rod 38 extending through the` pipe, the two hooks being in clamping engagement with the top and bottom portions of the face form 'as shown. This clamping action is effected by another endwise Patented Dec. 21, 1960 f elongated Wedge 39 driven through a slot 40 formed in the upper end portion 41 `-of rod 38 protruding from the pipe 26 above the frame lateral 24. In clamping condition, the wedge taper engages the rod inside, while the wedge straight side bears against the upper end of the pipe so as to urge the two hooks 36 and 37 relatively toward one another. Here again, the wedge opposite ends 32 stand clear of all other clamp assembly structure so as to be directly accessible for endwise driving of the wedge into or out of clamp actuating position.

In setting up the form and clamp combination prior to pouring of concrete, the horizontal location of the curb back form is established as to line and grade by the stakes 12, the face and gutter forms then being placed on the ground near the back form so as to be accessible for subsequent locating. Thereafter, the gutter form is staked to line and grade by use of template or level and positioned with respect to the back form 10 by supporting clamp assemblies on the tops of these two forms at spaced intervals along their extent, the width of the bracket bases 27 being such as permit the clamp assemblies to stand on the forms without falling over during Iinal adjustment of the forms prior to clamping. During such adjustment, the Wedges 30 may be very quickly driven into or out of clamping actuation as desired for the purpose of exactly locating the forms with minimum labor and in the shortest time.

At any time after the clamp assembly is supported on the two forms 10 and 15 the curb face form 19 may be lifted into position between the hooks 36 and 37, and the wedge 39 inserted in the slot 30 so as to loosely retain form 19 in elongated position during nal form adjustment. Thereafter, all three wedges of each clamp assembly may be driven into clamp actuating position very rapidly and in any desired order to achieve the rigid clamping relationship with the face form thereby brought to line and grade.

Before the concrete has solidified, but after it has taken permanent shape between the forms, the clamp assemblies may be very readily loosened and removed after tapping the wedges to loosen them, and thereafter the forms may be stripped from the concrete as desired.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a hook-shaped bracket 43 connected with a metal gutter form 44 forming channel 45 facing away from the inside of the form adjacent the concrete gutter. Bracket 43 has three 90 bends shaping it to include a base 46 supported on the top of the form, and inner and outer legs 47 and 48 closed against the inside of the -form and outside ange 49 thereof, a hook-like extension 50 from leg 4S projecting back into the channel 45 beneath the ange 49.

When the clamp assembly is connected with wooden or metal forms 10 and 19 and metal gutter form 44, the extension 50 is lirst hooked under the iiange 49 of the metal gutter form, and thereafter the assembly is pivoted counterclockwse to bring the assembly into supported engagement with the back form 19 as shown in Figs. l and 2, at which time the metal gutter form is properly located with respect to the back form by the bracket 43.

Fig. 4 illustrates a basic clamp assembly 51 which includes all the parts of the complete assembly 18 with the exception of the frame lateral and the gutter form clamp components, the basic assembly being used as shown in Fig. 4 to grip only the back and face forms 10 and 19. Use of basic clamp assemblies as shown in Fig. 5 in alternating relation with the complete assemblies at intervals along the forms permits economies as respects the expense of the clamp assemblies needed for installing a given length of forms, since the more expensive complete clamp assemblies may then be spaced at much greater intervals along the forms, without aiiecting the desirable form lateral spacing.

'I'he thin metal iaps 34 in all the forms of the inven- "tidn are used 'only when the clamp assemblies are connected with wooden forms, the wedges themselves being suflicient for clamping engagement with metal forms.

Also, the smaller end portions of each of the wedges 36 and 39 support rivets or pins 60 extending transversely through the wedges and being longer than the width of slots 31 and 40 through which the wedges extend. With the wider wedge ends sized larger than the elective lengths of the slots, the wedges are retained against complete endwise removal from the slots to prevent their loss, while at the same time they remain in position for quick loosening removal or tightening, as desired.

I claim:

l. An improved portable clamp assembly for holding longitudinally horizontally elongated concrete curb back, gutter and face forms in predetermined laterally spaced apart relation, comprising a frame including a pair of laterally elongated vertically staggered cross arms and means interconnecting said arms and having a shoulder extending downwardly and facing laterally opposite the lower of said arms for engaging and aligning said face form, said frame including upright members integral with and projecting below said cross arms toward the tops of said back and gutter forms, a pair of laterally spaced downwardly opening channel members respectively integral with and supporting said upright members and having inner and outer flanges, said channels being sized to seat downwardly over the upper portions of said back and gutter forms with the channel inner flanges adjacent the form inner faces, each of said channels having a laterally elongated aperture extending downwardly therethrough in laterally outwardly spaced relation to the channel inner liange, said cross arms comprising metal sheets extending in vertical and lateral planes and the vertical dimensions of which are several times greater than the sheet thickness, whereby said clamp assembly has maximum stiffness against bending in said vertical planes, and vertically elongated wedges tapering downwardly through said apertures to be driven endwise downwardly therein for transmitting thrust acting laterally to clamp said channel inner flanges tightly against the inner faces of said back and gutter forms, said channels having sufficient width to stabilize the frame in mounted upright position on the tops of the back and gutter forms when the frame is not clamped thereto.

2. The invention as dened in claim 1 in which the channel supporting said lower cross arm is lower than the channel supporting said higher cross arm, said cross arms are higher than the tops of said channels, and including bearing plates hanging from and below said channels and bodily movable by said wedges toward the channel inner ilanges into clamping engagement with the outer faces of said back and gutter forms.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which wedge portions above and below said apertures are respectively larger and smaller than said apertures, and including projections on the wedge portions below said apertures preventing their upward withdrawal through said apertures.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which said means comprises a tube extending downwardly and laterally, and including a rod projecting through said tube, upper and lower supports on said tube and rod respectively vfor gripping Lipper and lower sides of said face form, and a wedge above the tube on the rod and movable to displace the rod and said lower support upwardly relative to the tube.

5. The invention as delined in claim l including a projection extending laterally inwardly from the outer ange of one of said channels for hooking under the laterally extending flange of a gutter form.

6. An improved portable clamp assembly for holding longitudinally and horizontally elongated concrete curb back and face forms in predetermined laterally spaced apart relation, comprising a laterally elongated sheet-like cross arm extending in a lateral and vertical plane and the vertical dimension of which is several ytimes greater than its thickness, means connected with one end of said arm having a shoulder extending downwardly and facing laterally toward the space beneath said arm for engaging and aligning said face form, an upright member integral with and projecting below the opposite end of said cross arm toward the top of said back form, a downwardly opening channel member integral with and supporting said upright member and having inner and outer flanges, said channel being sized to seat downwardly over the upper portion of said back form with the channel inner llange adjacent the back form inner face, said channel having a laterally elongated aperture extending down-- wardly therethrough in laterally outwardly spaced relation to the channel inner flange, and a vertically elongated wedge tapering downwardly through said aperture to be driven endwise downwardly therein for transmitting thrust acting to clamp said channel inner llange tightly against the inner face of said back form, said channel having suicient width to stabilize the cross arm in upright mounted position on said back form.

7. An improved portable clamp assembly for holding longitudinally and horizontally elongated concrete curb back, gutter and face forms in predetermined laterally spaced apart relation, comprising a frame including a pair of laterally elongated vertically staggered cross arms and means interconnecting said arms and having a shoulder extending downwardly and facing laterally opposite the lower of said arms for engaging and aligning said face forms, said frame including upright members integral with and projecting below said cross arms toward the tops of said back and gutter forms, a pair of laterally spaced downwardly opening channel members respectively integral with and supporting said upright members and having inner and outer flanges, said channels being sized to seat downwardly over the uppermost portions of said back and gutter forms with the channel inner flanges adjacent the form inner faces, one channel member supporting the higher of said cross arms having a laterally elongated aperture extending downwardly therethrough in laterally outwardly spaced relation to the inner flange of said one channel member, and a vertically elongated wedge tapering downwardly through said aperture to be driven endwise downwardly therein for transmitting thrust acting to clamp said inner ange tightly against the inner face of said back form, said one channel member being at a higher elevation than the other channel member, said channels having suiiicient width to stabilize the frame in mounted upright position on the tops of the back and gutter forms when the frame is not clamped thereto.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 in which said cross arms comprise metal sheets extending in vertical and lateral planes and the vertical dimensions of which are several times greater than the sheet thickness, and

including a projection extending laterally inwardly from the outer ange of said other channel member for hooking under the lateral ange of a gutter form.

9. An improved portable clamp assembly for holding longitudinally horizontally elongated concrete curb back, gutter and face forms in predetermined laterally spaced apart relation, comprising a frame including a pair of laterally elongated vertically staggered lcross arms and means interconnecting said arms and having a shoulder extending downwardly and facing laterally opposite the lower of said arms for engaging and aligning said face form, said frame including upright members integral with and projecting below said cross arms toward the tops of said back and gutter forms, a pair of laterally spaced downwardly opening channel members respectively integral with and supporting said upright members and having inner and outer flanges, said channels being sized to seat downwardly over the upper portions of said back and gutter forms with the channel inner anges adjacent the form inner faces, each of said channels having an aperture extending therethrough in laterally outwardly spaced relation to the channel inner flange, and wedging means including elongated thrust transmitting bodies extending through said apertures to be advanced endwise therein inwardly of the channel outer flanges, said bodies having wedging extents which upon advancement through said apertures increase the body lateral dimensions between said inner and outer flanges so that the bodies transmit thrust acting laterally to clamp said channel inner flanges tightly against the inner faces of said back and gutter forms, said channels having sucient width to stabilize the frame in mounted upright position on the top of the back and gutter forms when the frame is not clamped thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,109,433 Leydecker Sept. 1, 1914 1,137,851 Fahnestock May 4, 1915 1,236,824 Davis Aug. 14, 1917 1,628,316 Heltzel May 10, 1927 1,637,998 Heltzel Aug. 2, 1927 1,726,976 Bosco Sept. 3, 1929 1,808,912 Willard June 9, 1931 1,960,502 McMillan May 29, 1934 2,273,699 Fenton Feb. 17, 1942 2,631,352 Williams Mar. 17, 1953 2,688,174 Hogan Sept. 7, 1954 2,727,294 Arrighini Dec. 20, 1955 2,845,683 Winegar Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 500,443 France Dec. 17, 1919 7,208 Australia Dec. 20, 1927 

